German compressed air technology company to open production facility in Atlanta

ATLANTA, February 26, 2008 – German compressed air technology company BEKO Technologies GmbH announced today they will locate a new production facility in Atlanta. The company plans to invest $4 million and create 35 jobs through its American subsidiary, BEKO Technologies Corp., at their new Fulton County facility. 'Georgia continues to be a destination for international manufacturers like BEKO Technologies,' said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 'As companies seek to be closer to their markets, they're finding Georgia to be ideal in workforce, location and cost-effectiveness.' BEKO Technologies, which is headquartered in Neuss, Germany, recently purchased a 50,000-square-foot facility located at 900 Great Southwest Parkway in Fulton County. BEKO will completely convert and renovate the facility to suit its rapidly growing operational needs. BEKO plans to produce several different product lines at the new plant, including their DRYPOINT® M membrane air dryers, the BEKO exclusive BEKOKAT® catalytic hydrocarbon removal systems, QWIK-PURE® emulsion separators, and the CLEARPOINT® line of compressed air filtration. The company's current plans have them on pace to be fully operational in Atlanta in August of 2008. Future expansions could bring as many as 55 additional jobs to the location. 'BEKO Technologies is a fast-growing company. By integrating our existing production facility, BEKO Membrane Technologies in Bend, Oregon, into BEKO Technologies Corporation, we needed a new place,' said Tilo Fruth, general manager of BEKO Technologies. 'We were on the search for a new location, a place where BEKO and its employees would truly feel at home, and Atlanta, Georgia, in the heart of the South, offered us all that what we were looking for.' Amanda Shailendra was project manager for GDEcD. 'Beko Technologies has selected an ideal location to grow and thrive,' said Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. 'Metro Atlanta continues to be an ideal location to attract international companies. We're the business hub of the Southeast and the fastest growing region of the country.' BEKO Technologies specializes in compressed air technology. With production departments in Neuss, Germany, Bowenpally, India and soon Atlanta, the company will have nearly 300 employees worldwide. The organization is comprised of the German parent company and 13 subsidiaries around the world. For more than 25 years, BEKO has developed, manufactured and sold the high-quality, reliable and efficient components and systems for compressed air processing and condensate management. Now, BEKO offers a complete product portfolio for all of the tasks related to the transport, treatment, processing and measurement of compressed air. Expert advice and world class service are hallmarks of the company. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video, and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.georgia.org.